Marinucci’s Move
I was glad to see the great political reporter Carla Marinucci land a new gig at Politico. I was sad to see her leave the
Joe Mathews
October 19, 2015
Author: Joe Mathews
Connecting California Columnist and Editor, Zócalo Public Square, Fellow at the Center for Social Cohesion at Arizona State University and co-author of California Crackup: How Reform Broke the Golden State and How We Can Fix It (UC Press, 2010)
Yet Another Tobacco Tax Compromised by Ballot Box Budgeting
Here we go again. Powerful and wealthy interests – including billionaire Tom Steyer – want to pursue a very necessary tax increase on cigarettes and
Joe Mathews
October 16, 2015
Has LA Downsized its Dreams?
In the last century, Southern Californians dreamed so big and global that the size of our aspirations came to define this place. We created a
Joe Mathews
October 15, 2015
A Nobel for Tunisia
Before last week, I didn’t know any Nobel laureates. Now, I feel like I know 11 million Nobel laureates. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded
Joe Mathews
October 14, 2015
All Taxes Are Temporary
Here’s yet another example that California politics is an entirely different universe that is decidedly not our own: the debate over “permanent” versus “temporary” tax
Joe Mathews
October 12, 2015
Why California Should Position Itself as a Mecca for the Poor
Fresno regularly ranks as one of the poorest metro areas in the United States. So why do people keep moving there? The short, if incomplete,
Joe Mathews
October 8, 2015
Voters Are Wising Up – Local Politics Is a Waste of Time
The L.A. Times a couple of weeks ago wrote a hand-wringing story about a new poll showing that fewer California voters see local politics as
Joe Mathews
October 2, 2015
Austin Beutner’s L.A. Times Was a Blast from the Past
The most important political campaign in California has died prematurely, and without a proper obituary. That sad fact speaks volumes about the challenges facing our
Joe Mathews
October 1, 2015
Why So Little on Water?
California is begging for more action, and imaginative investment in water. Meanwhile the legislature took action at the end of its session on water, by
Joe Mathews
September 28, 2015